A MAN who befriend then raped an 11-year-old girl from Addiscombe has been jailed for more than eight years.
Police were contacted by the girl's parents on the afternoon of March 1 when she was late in returning home after visiting a relative.
She arrived soon after but was in a distressed state, later telling police that she had been sexually assaulted in the Addiscombe area by a man she had met and befriended that day.
An investigation was carried out by the Met's sexual offences, exploitation and child abuse command and detectives identified CCTV which showed a man who matched the description given by the girl.
Images of the man were sent to officers in Croydon and PC Garcia, from Croydon CID, recognised him as James Bodenham, who he had stopped for riding his bike in the area a few weeks earlier.
Bodenham, 26, was arrested at his home in St Luke's Close, South Norwood, on March 19.
Detectives compared his DNA with samples taken from the victim's clothing and he was charged later that day with two counts of rape.
Bodenham pleaded guilty to one count of rape on September 1, with the other to lay on file.
He was jailed for eight years and six months at the Old Bailey on Friday (October 3) and was also handed a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO).
Detective Constable David Bendall, from the sexual offences exploitation and child abuse command, led the investigation. He paid tribute to the bravery shown by the victim and her family.
He said: "Bodenham targeted an extremely young and vulnerable girl, who will have to live with the consequences of his actions for the rest of her life.
"The victim and her family have shown tremendous strength and courage throughout the entire investigation.
"I hope that bringing Bodenham to justice will, in some way, help them to move on from this terrible ordeal."
